The present invention relates to methods for cleaning, rinsing, and/or antimicrobial treatment of medical carts, medical cages, and other medical instruments, devices or equipment. The method for cleaning employs a solid alkaline, for example a solid carbonate, cleaning composition for cleaning the medical cart, cage, instrument, device, or equipment. The method for rinsing employs a solid neutral or neutralizing rinse composition for rinsing the medical cart, cage, instrument, device, or equipment. The method for antimicrobial treatment employs a solid, for example a solid quaternary ammonium or solid halogen, antimicrobial composition, for antimicrobial treatment of the medical cart, cage, instrument, device, or equipment.
Solid cleaning, rinsing, and antimicrobial compositions have not been employed in a medical environment, such as for cleaning, rinsing, or antimicrobial treatment of medical carts, medical cages, medical instruments, medical devices, or other medical equipment. The markets for equipment and supplies for washing medical carts, medical cages, medical devices or instruments, or other medical equipment are distinct from markets for cleaning other wares, such as kitchen wares. Surprisingly, equipment for washing medical carts is a different market from equipment for washing medical cages, which is in turn a different market than equipment for washing medical instruments or devices, and so on. As a result of this market segmentation, suppliers of equipment for washing medical carts, do not necessarily make equipment for washing medical cages (and vice versa), suppliers of equipment for washing medical cages do not necessarily make equipment for washing medical instruments or devices (and vice versa), and so on.
There remains a need to develop solid cleaning, rinse, and antimicrobial products and methods that can be employed in a medical or healthcare environment.
The present invention relates to methods for cleaning, rinsing, and/or antimicrobial treatment of medical carts, medical cages, and other medical instruments, devices or equipment. The method for cleaning employs a solid alkaline, for example a solid carbonate, cleaning composition for cleaning the medical cart, cage, instrument, device, or equipment. The method for rinsing employs a solid, for example solid neutral or neutralizing, rinse composition for rinsing the medical cart, cage, instrument, device, or equipment. The method for antimicrobial treatment employs a solid, for example a solid quaternary ammonium or solid halogen, antimicrobial composition, for antimicrobial treatment of the medical cart, cage, instrument, device, or equipment.
In a preferred embodiment, the method for cleaning a medical cart, cage, instrument, or device includes contacting the medical cart, cage, instrument, or device with the dissolved carbonate cleaning composition at a temperature at or above ambient temperature. Preferably, forming the dissolved carbonate cleaning composition includes dissolving a solid carbonate cleaning composition in water. Preferably, the solid carbonate cleaning composition includes about 10 to 80 wt-% of Na2CO3 and an effective sequestering amount of an organic phosphonate hardness sequestering agent. In this embodiment, the solid cleaning composition includes non-hydrated sodium carbonate and a binding agent comprising hydrated sodium carbonate and organic phosphonate.
In another embodiment, the solid carbonate cleaning composition also includes a metal protecting silicate. Preferred metal protecting silicates include an oxidized metal, M2O, and SiO2 in a ratio of about 1:1 to 1:5. Preferred metal protecting silicates are hydrated, and can include water content of about 5 to 25 wt-%. Preferred solid cleaning compositions include Na2O and SiO2 in a ratio of about of about 1:1.5 to 1:2.5. In this embodiment, the solid cleaning composition preferably includes comprises about 10 to 30 wt. of alkali metal silicate.
In yet another embodiment, the binding agent is dispersed throughout the solid cleaning composition; includes the alkali metal carbonate hydrate and the organic sequestrant that form a binding agent comprising an organo phosphonate or an organo amino acetate and water; includes for each mole of the organic sequestrant, about 3 to 10 moles of the carbonate monohydrate and 5 to 15 moles of water; and has a melting transition temperature of greater than about 120xc2x0 C. The binder preferably includes as an organic sequestrant amino tri(methylene phosphonic) acid or sodium salt thereof; 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid or sodium salt thereof, diethylenetriaminopenta(methylene phosphonic) acid or sodium salt thereof; xcex2-alanine-N,N-diacetic acid or sodium salt thereof; diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid or sodium salt thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the binder also includes a builder comprising sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium nitrilotriacetate, or mixtures thereof.
In another embodiment, the method of the invention includes rinsing a medical cart, cage, instrument, or device. Rinsing can include dissolving a solid rinse composition in water, and rinsing the medical cart, cage, instrument, or device with the dissolved rinse composition at a temperature at or above ambient temperature. Preferred solid rinse compositions include solid neutral rinse compositions and solid neutralizing rinse compositions. A preferred solid neutral rinse composition includes a nonionic surfactant and urea. A preferred solid neutralizing rinse composition includes a nonionic block surfactant with a cloud point greater than the rinse temperature employed in the method, a defoamer composition, and a water soluble casting agent.
In yet another embodiment, the method of the invention includes antimicrobial treatment of a medical cart, cage, instrument, or device. Antimicrobial treatment can include dissolving a solid antimicrobial composition in water, and contacting the medical cart, cage, instrument, or device with the dissolved antimicrobial composition at a temperature at or above ambient temperature. Preferred solid antimicrobial compositions include solid quaternary ammonium or solid halogen antimicrobial compositions. Preferred quaternary ammonium salts include octyl decyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, dioctyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, or a combination thereof, and the like. A preferred solid halogen antimicrobial agents includes a chlorinated phosphate, such as chlorinated trisodium phosphate. Contacting during antimicrobial treatment preferably continues for a time and at a concentration of antimicrobial composition sufficient for sanitizing the medical cart, cage, instrument, or device. In an embodiment, contacting during antimicrobial treatment preferably continues for a time and at a concentration of antimicrobial composition sufficient for disinfecting the medical cart, cage, instrument, or device.
The method of the invention can include one or more of cleaning, rinsing, and antimicrobial treatment of a medical cart, cage, instrument, device, or other medical equipment.